Open 16.1

It’s finally here guys and girls. The first Open workout can be summed up with a very classic CrossFit Phrase: Work Capacity.

Luckily this is exactly what we’ve been building with our program. Every time you wanted to kill us because of the increasingly difficult rep schemes and soul crushing EMOMs you were preparing yourself for this.

Let’s Dig In.

#1 Pacing - This is going to be paramount. Find a place just entering the uncomfortable, and stay there. Think 80-85% of your heart rate which should feel very similar to the tougher EMOMs you completed over the past 6 weeks. 20 Minutes is a long time, so conserving energy in all ways will be crucial. Think stoic but relaxed face, precise and consistent movement, stay calm, and focus on your breathing. Aim to have gas in the tank for a burst in the final 3-4 minutes.

#2 Mobility - Let’s be honest, this is going to pummel you into submission if you can’t keep the bar stacked properly. Any forward displacement is going to over activate a number of shoulder and back muscles. It is also going to kill one area a lot of people may forget about. The forearms. This workout will become very grippy if you are constantly squeezing the crap out of the bar to try and move it into position. Find a grip width that provides the most solid skeletal stack. Any elbow bend is going to be no bueno. We will tackle warm up in the video.

#3 Break early - Unless you have butterfly for days, we highly recommend breaking this up early. 4/4 will be ideal. Never let pull ups slow you down. You want to maintain the exact pace from the get-go.

#4 Show me the worm - Do not under any circumstances place extra load on the shoulders during the push up portion of the burpee. You should be doing the ugliest, sloppiest fall to the ground and worm back up burpee you can perform. Stay relaxed and press only the upper part of the body off the ground, then snap the legs up wide. The video in the morning will contain examples of various techniques.

#5 Gather intel - You should know exactly how many steps at what distance per step will get you across the line with half an inch to spare. You don’t want to be thinking about anything else than counting your steps and breathing. You should be able to do it in your sleep and make it across perfectly. Do a number of practice runs to feel comfortable with your stride.

#6 Knee sleeves - I don’t care if you never wear them, you need them in this. You are going to be tired and smashing your knee into the floor is going to feel less than great. Get some knee sleeves from a friend and use them.

#7 Attack your strengths - Most of you will have one strength in this workout, you need to capitalize. Give yourself rest before your worst movement. If lunges are your thing, then do fast steps with no stutter at the center for as long as possible. If it’s pull ups, then go unbroken for as long as you can so you can give yourself a rest at the halfway point of the lunges. The burpee to lunge transition will most likely be the worst. Find a pace that doesn’t spike the crap out of your heart rate and stick to it. One last thing on the lunges, if you know you have poor mobility then do not force yourself to make the entire trip. Once you pump out your shoulders it will be game over. It will suck and be frustrating, but drop the bar, let the arms sag by your sides for a few seconds, and then continue to the finish.